TNES: Part 19: Call It Magic
by Seadragon
Summary: Two years after Hogwarts. James and Sirius are Aurors, just like they always dreamed. May works in the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Magic. And Lily is getting married. To the wrong person. When the right person shows up again, everyone..
1. Time of Meeting

**Title:** Call It Magic

**Series:** The Never Ending Story

**Author:** Seadragon**  
Genre:** Romance/Drama**  
Rating:** Pg-13**  
Summary:** Two years after Hogwarts. James and Sirius are Aurors, just like they always dreamed. May works in the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Magic. And Lily is getting married. To the wrong person. When the right person shows up again, everyone has a choice to make.

~

Call It Magic

~

Chapter 1

~

"No, it wasn't true. I never stopped loving you."

James Potter

What You Said

Seadragon

8/04/03

~

"UP!"

Lily groaned and rolled over.

"Lily! You're going to be late! HURRY!" May Dawson screeched.

Lily moaned and sat up. She picked up the clock and screamed. She jumped from her bed, grabbed her clothes and rushed into the bathroom. "Hurry May! We're late!"

"So I've been saying." May sighed. "And we were going to go and get coffee first. So much for that!

"I've got to be the only bride to be late for her own engagement party." Lily yelled, brushing her teeth and hair at the same time.

"Probably." May agreed, biting into an apple from a fruit bowl on their table.

Five minutes later, Lily was ready and literally dragging May through the door at a run.

Lily had decided to have the party at a muggle hall, so they didn't have far to go. When they checked their coats and entered the reception hall, Lily noticed her fiancé, Mark, wasn't there yet. "Oh thank god!" She sighed. "I guess he had to stop and get his friends from work. He said he was bringing two and he wanted us to meet them."

May nodded, relieved they weren't too late. The feeling didn't last long.

"Lily! May!" A voice called, they turned around and Mark was walking towards them. "How are you?" He kissed Lily and smiled at May.

"Hey."

"I want you two to meet some people." He motioned to two people behind him that May and Lily hadn't noticed. They turned around and May gasped.

"Oh my god!" The four of them just stared at each other.

Mark appeared oblivious, he was quite surprised when May glared at Sirius. "You." She growled.

"Uh, May," He said. "You don't even know him!"

"Yes she does." James said shortly. Before Mark could respond, he snapped at him. "You never told us you were marrying Lily Evans!"

"Potter." Mark said automatically. "Lily Potter."

"Potter?" James whispered inaudibly to anyone but Sirius, who winced.

"Isn't that cool? You have the same last name! Anyways, how do you know each other?"

James shot Lily a look, and she shook her head ever so slightly. James's scowl deepened. Seeing that James wasn't going to answer anytime soon, Sirius stepped in.

"Hogwarts."

"Oh, I understand." Mark said.

Sirius looked at James, who was glaring angrily at Lily. "No you really don't." He whispered.

"Hmm? What was that?" Mark asked.

"Nothing." Sirius lied quickly and sighed. James had finally gotten over Lily, or so it seemed. He hoped this would destroy him. Sirius found his gaze straying to May, who was looking at Mark with growing distaste. He felt a sly grin work its way onto his face. Maybe it wasn't over yet…

"I need to go to the little girls' room." May said and winked carefully at Sirius before walking quickly off. Sirius just stood there staring after her.

"Uh, me too!" Sirius said quickly before following her.

"Did Sirius just say he needed to go to the little girls' room?" Mark's voice said from behind him.

~

By the time he had found the ladies washroom, May had probably already gone in. Sirius settled himself in the shadows next to the door to wait.

When the door opened, and May stepped out, Sirius spoke.

"So, you think so too?"

"I've got to be the worst maid of honor ever." May said calmly.

"Of you think what I think, there is no doubt about it, you are the WORST maid of honor ever." Sirius said slyly. "Forgiven?"

"And forgotten." May said.

"I sure hope you don't mean you forgot me! I mean, who could forget me?" Sirius grinned.

"Who indeed. Though no doubt, many have tried." May smiled back. "If I'm thinking what you're thinking, and you're thinking what I'm thinking, I think we have to get moving."

"I always loved your logic, or lack there of it."

"Sirius my dear, you had to be the least logical of the six of us, except for James of course." May said.

"True." Sirius admitted. "His logic almost always ended with a comparison to Quidditch." He stopped to think for a minute. "It still does."

May laughed. "Those were the days. We were so innocent and carefree."  
  


  
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking about the same people?" He asked. "Because my people were never innocent." He paused a minute. "Or carefree." His face darkened and May patted his arm.

"Those days are behind us now Sirius." She said reassuringly.

"I'm not so sure about that…" He said quietly.

~

"So," Mark said awkwardly. He was confused, usually James wouldn't shut up, and Lily was always very friendly. Now, Lily was staring at her feet and James was completely ignoring her.

"James, can I talk to you a minute?" Mark said. "We'll just be a second." He said to Lily. James hesitated but Mark gripped his arm and pulled him away. Lily headed of to talk to some of her friends.

"What's up James? I'll understand."

"It's complicated." James said.

"So what? Tell me." Mark pleaded. "Do you not like her?"

James snorted. "Just stay out of it Mark." He started to walk away just Mark grabbed his arm. "Don't touch me Mark." He pulled away, his voice icy, and stalked off.

~

"Sirius, can we get out of here?" James pleaded. "Please?"

Sirius looked at him quizzically. "Get out of here?" He asked slowly.

"Yes Einstein! Out of _here_! _Now, preferably."_

"Any reason for this sudden departure?" Sirius asked. "And who's Einstein?"

James looked around. Seeing no one, he continued. "This is killing me Sirius."

Sirius nodded. "Alright, we'll get our coats, tell Mark and May we're leaving, and split."

"Thanks." James said gratefully. Once they had their coats in hand, Mark appeared in front of them right out of thin air.

"Leaving already?" Mark asked in a disappointed voice.

"Uh… Yah. James isn't feeling too well." Sirius said nervously, well, it wasn't like it was _that_ hard to believe, James's face was unusually pale and drawn.

"Well, I'll see you two tomorrow for the meeting, I guess."

James seemed to go even whiter if possible.

"You better hurry him home Sirius, he looks awful." Mark said with concern and Sirius nodded. Luckily one Mark had disappeared, May came running over.

"Going already?" She said sadly. Sirius nodded and looked pointedly at James. "Right, bye then! Wait, you'll be at the meeting right?"

"Right." Sirius confirmed before dragging James out the door.

They apparated back to their flat, and Sirius sat James at the table. "Talk." He ordered.

"God Sirius, I can't do this! You do know he is going to chose one of us to be his best man?! If he asks me, I swear I'll die!"

"Well, you and May will have something in common then. You'll both be the worst right hand man, or woman, in wedding history! Cant see it getting any worse than being in love with the bride yourself." Sirius said without thinking.

"I am not in love with Lily Evans!" James exploded, then put his head in his hands.

"Of course you're not mate, of course you're not."

"I am not is love with Lily Evans. I am not in love with Lily Evans. I am not in love with Lily Evans." He stopped and shook his head. "Who am I fooling?! Of course I'm in love with Lily!" He froze. "Oh gods, Sirius!"

Sirius looked at James and realized that it had probably just hit him then.

"Lily is getting married! What in the name of Merlin am I going to do?!"

"You'll cope mate."

"No I won't!" James yelled. "Just bloody well leave me alone!" He realized what he had said and paled. "I'm sorry Sirius." He muttered. "I, I just can't believe it." His face suddenly got angry again. "She doesn't even want me to tell Mark! Who does she think she is? I'm not going to listen to her! I'll tell Mark tomorrow! Ha!"

Sirius just stared at him.

"No I'm not." James sighed. "We both know that, no need to pretend."

Sirius sighed as well. "Don't worry, maybe she won't."

"Won't what?" James asked curiously.

"Marry Mark."

"No, she'll marry him and I'll be lonely for the rest of my life."

Sirius winced. "No need to be so cheerful."

"Gods Sirius, can't you ever be serious?" He paused. "Remind me to kill your parents."

"Gladly, as long as I get to help."

"But seriously, what am I going to do? She already hates me! This is as bad as fifth year, except worse!" Sirius nodded.

"There's really only one thing you can do mate, just hope she realizes her mistake." By realizes, Sirius meant, have it shoved into her face and drilled into her head by himself and May. "Or…"

James glared at him. "Or what?!"

"Or, you can make her fall for you." Sirius paused. "Again." He thought for a second. "You've already succeeded about five times with that, whether it was intentional or not, so it shouldn't be too hard to do again!"

"But Sirius, she's getting married! MARRIED! Besides, circumstances helped with every single one of those."

"We can create 'circumstances'! It'll be easy, have you no faith in me?"

"I am not letting you trick Lily! I'd rather have her marry Mark!" James exclaimed.

"Fine, but you get to explain to your grandchildren why you married the Swedish blond with humongous breasts named Helga, instead of the girl you tell them stories about!"

~

"He's got it bad May, I don't know what to do." Sirius said to May the next day at the meeting. "I thought he was going to bloody well kill me!"

They were waiting for Lily to arrive. May, Sirius, Mark, James, and one of Lily's other friends, were all piled into a muggle coffeehouse. Lily's friend Ann, who went to an American magical school, was staring at James, who was oblivious.

"Sirius, he would never do that, he knows you love him." May said reassuringly, not knowing the true meaning behind these words.

"Thank you fro reminding me this is all my fault!" Sirius said sarcastically. "That's just what I needed!" May gave him a weird look.

Just then, Lily walked in, which stopped May from responding to that curious little comment from Sirius.

Lily spotted James, and suddenly her face got really angry. "What the hell are you doing here?! Yesterday I could understand, but I thought I told you to stay THE HELL OUT OF MY LIFE!"

Mark just stared.

"If you want my out of your fucking life, fine!" James shouted. He stormed out of the coffee shop, leaving behind a _very_ confused Mark.

Sirius jumped over the arm of his chair and followed James at a run.

"Anyone care for some coffee?" May said quietly, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. Lily just gave her a_ look_.

~

"Come on James, you can't just give up!" Sirius pleaded.

James halted and stared Sirius in the eye. Sirius shivered at the coldness in his gaze. "You seem to have forgotten this was your fault." James hissed before disapparating.

Sirius sighed. "Forgotten? How could I have forgotten? I see you everyday James."

~

"Why did she keep the name Potter?" Sirius demanded.

May shrugged. "She never told me. Anyway, what did you mean it was _all your fault?"_

"Nothing, it was nothing."

"Liar. Lily never told me why they split up." May said.

Sirius sighed. "I can't tell you."

"Of course you can Sirius! What am I going to do? Rat on you to Lily and James?" She stopped to think for a minute. "Mark is going to guess something's up sooner or later. They _do_ have the same last name, were in the same year at Hogwarts, James wont speak to her, and Lily told him to 'get the hell out of her life' in front of us all. They'll have to explain their whole story to him, so why can't you tell me? Don't you trust me?"

Sirius just stared at her. "Promise you won't freak out?"

She nodded earnestly and settled into her seat at the restaurant they had met at for dinner.

"Well you see," Sirius began, and then stopped again. "I don't think I can."

"Come on Sirius!" May whined. "Do you want me to ask James?!"

"Alright. See, it was like this. You know how they got married the summer after seventh year? Before we started the extra year? After the battle?" Sirius asked and May nodded eagerly.

"Well remember the game of sardines? And the abrupt ending?"

"Yeah, some teacher disapproved."

"Yes, because Snape ratted on us to the Slytherin head, so James, Remus, Peter and I pranked him good." Sirius said.

May nodded again. All memories of their unique, once and a life time, eighth year.

"The Quidditch match the next day? The Slytherins were still sore, so they beat on James?"

"That's right. I remember you were out for cursing someone who snuck up behind James." May added.

"Well, remember how he fell? And was in a coma?"

May nodded once again.

"He was in the hospital wing for a month. One day I went to visit him,"

"Just like all the other days!" May quipped.

Sirius frowned. "We were talking, yaddah, yaddah, and then…"

"Yes?" May said breathlessly.

"Well, Lily was on her way in, we didn't, well I didn't, see her. And. And…" Sirius started mumbling before May could hear and what.

"What? I can't understand you." May complained.

"I, I, er, I, that is…" Sirius fumbled over the words. "_Kissed him…" He whispered._

May just froze and stared at him.


	2. Time of Lies

**Title:** Call It Magic

**Series:** The Never Ending Story

**Author:** Seadragon**  
  
**

**Genre:** Romance/Drama**  
  
**

**Rating:** Pg-13**  
  
**

**Summary:** Two years after Hogwarts. James and Sirius are Aurors, just like they always dreamed. May works in the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Magic. And Lily is getting married. To the wrong person. When the right person shows up again, everyone has a choice to make.

~

Call It Magic

~

Chapter 2

~

"They called themselves the Marauders, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter." Filch still wore the look of disgust on his face as he stared at the picture of the four boys. "They caused the most trouble of all the students this school has ever had. The Headmaster's favorites. And now, two of them are dead, one's a traitor, and one's a bloody werewolf."

Argus Filch

_The Last Stand_

Chapter 2: The Future Starts Now

Seadragon

2/01/04

~

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Just a minute!" Sirius yelled. He looked at the living room he was trying to clean without success and sighed. He pulled his wand out of his back pocket and waved it casually. Everything jumped into place and he went to open the door.

"Hello? Oh, hi May." Sirius said awkwardly. He hadn't seen her for three days, since-

"You still love him don't you?" May blurted out.

"What are you talking about?" He growled. "I never did."

"Don't lie to me Sirius Black!" May snapped. "I can see right through you. This is killing you too isn't it? But you won't do anything about it. You'll just sit here and be supportive, when the only thing you want is him!"

Sirius stared at her.

"I know you better than you think Black. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm saying. Because I won't take that bullshit. You might, but I won't. You love him and always have. Ever since you laid eyes on him. But you just sat back and watched as he fell in love with someone else. All those girls were just distractions from what was right in front of your face, weren't they?

"But that's where you and I are different. I won't just sit back and watch the man I love love someone else."  
  
And that was when she stepped forward and pressed her lips against his.

Sirius pulled away immediately.

"May. I do love you, you're a great person. But you just aren't _James_."

And in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

"That's just my luck." May groaned. "I fell in love with a man, who is in love with his best friend, who is in love with my best friend, who is getting married to a man who has no clue."

~

"So Lily, who was that man in the coffee shop?" Ann asked.

"Just a friend from Hog… School." Lily replied while looking over the invitations for what seemed to be the millionth time to Ann.

"Oh. What was that all about then?"

"It's a really long story Ann. Just forget about it." Lily said.

"He's kind of cute." Ann said slyly.

"James Potter?! You can't be serious!" Suddenly, she chuckled. Ann gave her a weird look. "Never mind, another long story."

"That's kind of cool though, you have the same last name." Ann commented, hoping to get more of the story out of her silent friend.

Lily gave what sounded like a strangled cough. "Whatever. Let's go mail these, I can't find anything wrong with them." She admitted with defeat. Ann knew she was changing the subject, but let it go. For now.

"About time." She muttered.

~

"I do not love James Potter. I do not love James Potter…"

"Of course I do. What's not to love?" Sirius muttered darkly. "This is all his fault. Too damn perfect. I have half a mind to give him a piece of my mind!" Sirius sighed. "No, that won't work either."

Just then the phone rang. Excellent timing if you asked him. Just before he was about to do something insanely stupid. Though, it might not have turned out so bad… Wait. He couldn't think like that. He had to be supportive for James. If he wasn't, who would be?

Sirius ran to pick it up, only to yell into the wrong end. "Damn muggle contraption." He muttered, giving the phone an evil look. Despite the fact he had been using it for quite some time, he never really got the hang of the darn thing. But, it was excessively easier than using the fire place or an owl, so he put up with it.

"Hey Sirius, it's me. I was wondering if you could help me…"

Sirius agreed, said he'd be there in a minute, and sighed again. "I've got to be a damn cursed unlucky bastard. But you know what? I don't love James Potter! So there!"

He put on his coat and shook his head. "Course you do Sirius. Course you do."

~

"Alright Remus, explain this to me again?" Sirius said. "I clearly remember you saying we were going to cheer up James, yet I see him," Sirius looked around for effect. "No where."

"Hell Sirius. He's not the only one who needs cheering up." Remus exclaimed.

"You haven't been talking to May have you?" Sirius muttered darkly.

"No, but I'm not blind." Remus replied.

"We wouldn't want that, would we?" Sirius said.

Remus smiled. "No, of course not. Then where would we be? Now, let's get this straight. You. Will. Never. Have. James. Understand?"

"Oh, that hurts."

"Sirius! I'm being serious!" Remus protested. "God damn your parents, they make our lives so much harder!"

"Hear, hear." Sirius said gloomily.

"But really, you will never get James, so suck it up. We have one goal, only one. And you know what that is, don't you?"

"Get Lily and James together again." Sirius said in a monotone. "Glad to see you're so worried about me."

~

"Just who are James and Sirius?"

"You know them better than me Mark, I hadn't seen them since we left Hogwarts." May protested.

"No I don't. I don't really know anything about them. What exactly were James and Lily? Tell me the truth May." Mark demanded.

May stared him in the eye and bit her tongue. If she told him, who knew what would happen, but she doubted Lily and James would ever see each other again, and that, that would not be good at all.

"They were friends. That's all. They got into a fight before Graduation and never had a chance to reconcile. Nothing more than that. Believe me."

Whether he believed her or not, she wasn't going to tell him the full story. It wasn't hers to tell. Maybe Sirius's, maybe Lily's, definitely James's, but not hers. Never hers. Just like Sirius.

She knew she had lost him, and that she wasn't going to get him back, not the way she wanted. He just couldn't do that, not even for her. He would just pretend everything was okay, and stay out of any relationship that might come his way. Just to leave everything open, just in case.

In case of what, May wasn't sure. What did Sirius want? Besides James that is. But she knew he would try his hardest to get Lily and James back together no matter what he may feel. Because he wanted the best for James, and at the moment, Lily was the best.

But she was untouchable right now. She was engaged, and planning her wedding. They would have to step lightly, or it would all be over before it even had a chance to begin. And that wouldn't work for any of them.

~

Things weren't going so well for James.

But, you had to think for a minute about this, did they ever? His life had been a mess since day one, and that hadn't changed in his 20 years. All in all, luck hadn't exactly been with him. Sure, he had married the woman he loved, but he had also divorced her. Sure, he had three great friends who he would give his life for, and vice versa, but they suffered because of him.

And now, said woman, Lily, was getting married to someone who didn't know her history, or even her real name, and he had ruined every chance of ever getting back together with her by getting angry.

Once again, his temper was getting the better of him. That really had to change, before something horrible happened. Though, I suppose you could argue that several horrible things have already happened. And it would be true.

But this just topped the list. His best friend was mad at him, because he had gotten angry, again. And now he was alone.

All alone.


End file.
